Jackson said in a video introduction that he made the choice to increase the frame-rate to create "movement [that] feels more real - it's much more gentle on the eyes".

Though viewers were positive about the sequences shown - including Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) in Gollum's cave and Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in battle - many had reservations about the 48fps footage.

Collider's Steve Weintraub said that it presented "a radical change" and could potentially "polarise audiences".

"The 48fps is so jarring that I'm not sure casual moviegoers will enjoy it," he said. "While I figured the image quality would improve at 48fps, it's like looking at real life on a movie screen and not in a good way. You no longer have motion blur. You no longer can hide stuff in the darkness."

SlashFilm's Peter Sciretta complained that the film looked like a "made for television BBC movie" and so "uncompromisingly real" that it seemed artificial.

"More noticeable in the footage was the make-up, the sets, the costumes," he said. "Hobbiton and Middle Earth didn't feel like a different universe, it felt like a special effect, a film set with actors in costumes. It looked like behind the scenes footage."

Sciretta concluded: "It didn't look cinematic. Not at all, even with a top filmmaker like Peter Jackson at the helm."

ComingSoon's Edward Douglas said: "Everything looks crystal clear but it also looks a little too perfect and lifelike and because of that clarity, the fact that we're looking at sets and actors in costumes and make-up seems much more obvious.

"One of the nice things about film is that it adds a glossy look that smooths out the rough spots in sets, costumes and make-up."

Furthermore, a projectionist told the Los Angeles Times that he wasn't convinced by The Hobbit's 48fps scenes.